The invention generally relates to bearing retainers. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a method for fixing at least one bearing in place in a bearing retainer and a bearing receiver for receiving a bearing.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE 198 05 237 discloses positioning bearings in a bearing retainer and fixing them in place by shaping the material on the front face of the bearing retainer. The shaped material covers a shoulder area arranged around the front face of the outer bearing ring, and in this way constitutes an interlocking connection between the bearing and the bearing retainer.
Although quite good results have been achieved with this arrangement, there exists a need for providing a fixation in place for the bearing in the bearing retainer, which is also capable of withstanding extreme loads.
A need thus exists for fixing the bearing in place in the bearing retainer in such a way that it is able to withstand quite high axial loads over an extended and lasting time period.
Generally speaking, the present invention involves fixing a bearing in place in a bearing retainer by making use of an interlocking connection, which is achieved by the deformation of the material of the bearing retainer. The interlocking connection made in this way is, however, only stable up to a defined maximum load. If this maximum load is exceeded, a deformation of the material constituting the interlocking connection could occur. Depending on the size and length, or frequency, of the action of the load, damage or even destruction of the interlocked connection could be the result. To ease the potential negative effects of pulse-like load peaks in particular, which occur in case of load changes for example, during the shaping or deformation process, the material of the bearing retainer is not directly pressed against the shoulder of the outer ring, but instead against an elastic element arranged between the shoulder and the material of the retainer. The elastic element cushions the load peaks and therefore inhibits or prevents an undesirably large stress of the interlocking connection and the premature fatigue of the material occurring in connection therewith.
Thus, the present invention has the advantage that the fixation in place of the bearing in the bearing retainer is still reliably assured, even after a multitude of load changes. A further advantage of the present invention is that with the aid of the elastic element, the bearing can be clamped in the axial direction with a predetermined force. Finally, it is also advantageous that manufacturing tolerances are compensated for by the elastic element within defined limits.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method for fixing at least one bearing in place in a bearing retainer having at least one depression for receiving the bearing involves positioning the bearing in the depression, providing an elastic element which acts in the axial direction on the bearing either before or after the at bearing is positioned in the depression so that the elastic element is supported on the bearing in a first axial direction, and deforming a partial area of the bearing retainer so that the deformed partial area of the bearing retainer supports the elastic element in a second axial direction which extends opposite the first axial direction.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for fixing at least one bearing in place in a bearing retainer having at least one depression for receiving the bearing involves positioning the bearing in the depression, providing an elastic element adjacent a shoulder formed on the bearing either before or after the bearing is positioned in the depression, and deforming a portion of the bearing retainer to displace material of the bearing retainer and form an inwardly directed ridge of the bearing retainer overlying the elastic element so that the elastic element is positioned between the inwardly directed ridge and the shoulder.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a bearing arrangement includes a bearing retainer having at least one depression in which is positioned a bearing, with a portion of the bearing retainer overlapping a portion of the bearing to form an interlocking connection between the bearing retainer and the bearing in an axial direction. An elastic element is arranged in an area of the overlap of the bearing and the bearing retainer, and is supported on the bearing in a first axial direction while being supported on the bearing retainer in a second axial direction opposite to the first axial direction.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a bearing arrangement includes a bearing retainer having at least one depression in which is positioned a bearing, with the bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring and at least one rolling element positioned between the inner and outer rings. The outer ring of the bearing possesses a shoulder, and the bearing retainer possesses a ridge extending inwardly towards the outer ring and positioned in overlapping relation to the shoulder. In addition, an elastic element is positioned between the shoulder and the ridge.